5 Games on the Nintendo Switch Featuring Black and Brown Girls

It’s been a great year for the Nintendo Switch. From Breath of The Wild to Super Mario Odyssey and every game in between, the Switch has been crushing it across all genres. But another area in which the Switch has been crushing it, and a lot of people might not know, is with its Black and Brown female characters. As a Black girl gamer, it feels good to FINALLY see characters that look like me from a company that I absolutely adore!

In this article, I will be listing five games featuring women of color that are available on the Nintendo Switch. Let’s go!

1. Dandara

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Originally available on Steam, Dandara is an independent game featuring a Black woman, Dandara, as the main character. Dandara lives in the world of Salt, and life in Salt isn’t going all too well. So Dandara takes it upon herself to fight back against the oppression and turmoil that she and her fellow citizens are facing. It is her personal mission to restore freedom and balance to her chaotic world.

If you’re a fan of 2D platformers (think old school Super Mario Bros. mixed with Metroid, but with some #blackgirlmagic thrown in there) you might like Dandara. If you like jumping all over creation and discovering new paths each time you play a game, you might also like Dandara. And if you just like kicking butt as a bad-ass Black girl, Dandara might be the game for you!

2. Shantae: Half-Genie Hero

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Another platformer, Shantae originally got its start way back when on the Game Boy Color, but its latest installment, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero has found its way to the Nintendo Switch. And for the first time ever, Shantae is live and in HD!

Once again, Shantae is forced to save Sequin Land as evil threatens to take over the entire world. Using her luscious ponytail and belly-dancing battle techniques, Shantae fights off evil in order to stop her arch-nemesis, Risky Boots, from destroying Sequin Land. Join Shantae in her fight against evil and see if you have what it takes to save the day!

If you’re a fan of hair whips and awesome dance moves, Shantae might be calling your name. And if you’re a fan of humorous dialogue and cute costume changes, you might also enjoy Shantae. Whatever calls you to it, own it and have fun!

3. Severed

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Another indie game, in Severed, you follow the one-armed warrior Sasha and her living sword along on their journey to find Sasha’s family. The world might be horrifying, but the game design isn’t! As Sasha fights her way through the nightmare, solving puzzles and defeating enemies, she manages to do so in a very stylish and aesthetically-pleasing manner. The colors are vibrant. The enemies are freaky. And the action is definitely on and poppin’!

Check out Severed if you like action-adventure games, and especially ones led by Brown girls! And who can say no to a Brown girl kicking butt? No one. Shout out to Drinkbox Studios for creating Sasha, a visibly disabled and beautifully Brown female heroine.

4. Splatoon 2

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Everyone knows how diverse and customizable Splatoon 2 allows its characters to be, and ever since Marina came onto the scene, fans everywhere have been in shock and awe. A member of the band, Off the Hook, Marina is also the host of a TV show and a certified baddie. While more reserved than her partner, Pearl, Marina can also be sassy when needed, but generally, she speaks in a sweet and gentle manner like the shy girl that she is. And that’s great because Black girls aren’t a monolith, and it takes all types to make the world go ’round.

If you haven’t already played Splatoon 2, I highly suggest that you do it! If not for the awesome third-person shooter paint action, at least do it for the awesomeness that is Marina. You’ll be VERY glad that you did!

5. Arms

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And finally, one of the newest first-party games from Nintendo, Arms is a fighting game featuring characters with, you guessed it, extendable arms. And one of the most iconic characters from the game is Twintelle, a dark-skinned Black woman with a swaggered walk and hips to match. Using her long, curly ponytails to fight, Twintelle is definitely a force to be reckoned with! She pretty much broke the Internet the night her character was released, and people have been talking about her ever since.

If you like fighting games, you’ll probably like Arms, and if you like watching Black girls kick butt, you might also like Arms. Either way, you can’t really lose, now can you? Well, if you aren’t playing as Twintelle, I suppose you already are…

And that does it, y’all! Nintendo has really been on it with its Black and Brown girl characters this past year. Hopefully, they see all of the love and support that the games featuring them are receiving and continue to show us girls that look just like us! We’re rooting for you Nintendo! We know that you can do it!